The execution of Thomas Creech scheduled for Wednesday morning was canceled at 11 a.m. Idaho Department of Correction director Josh Tewalt determined the execution could not happen because the medical team could not establish an IV line.
In a news conference, Tewalt said the medical team did a physical assessment of Creech in the morning and believed they would be able to establish IV access. When Creech was in the execution room, Tewalt said the team tried eight times through multiple limbs and appendages to establish that access.
“It was a vein quality issue that made them not confident in their ability to administer chemicals through the IV site,” he said.
KTVB reporter Brenda Rodriguez was one of four media witnesses who spoke at the press conference. She said Creech appeared to twitch at each new attempt to insert a needle and looked towards the family witness room several times throughout the process.
She and the other journalists reported Creech didn’t not appear to be physically suffering and remained calm between 10am and when the warden stopped the execution at 10:58am.
Shortly after, his legal team filed an emergency motion to stay any further execution attempts. In a written statement, they said they were angered by the state’s “botched execution.”
We are angered but not surprised that the State of Idaho botched the execution of Thomas Creech today. This is what happens when unknown individuals with unknown training are assigned to carry out an execution. This morning, they tried and failed 10 times to access Tom’s veins in both of his arms and both legs so they could inject him with the State’s mysteriously acquired pentobarbital.
This is precisely the kind of mishap we warned the State and the Courts could happen when attempting to execute one of the country’s oldest death-row inmates in circumstances completely shielded in secrecy despite a well-known history of getting drugs from shady sources. Yesterday, the State called Mr. Creech’s worries “patently absurd” in its motions to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Unfortunately, what is absurd is Idaho’s continuing efforts to kill this harmless old man, who by this point surely has suffered enough.
When asked about their use of the word “botched” at the press conference, Tewalt said the goal of the IDOC was to carry out executions with dignity, professionalism and respect.
“At any step where it looks like we're going to be unable to do that, that's when we call it off. For us, it wasn't a difficult decision,” said Tewalt. “Attempting to try to move forward with an execution, when you don't have the confidence that can be carried out in that respect, I think that would be the definition of a botched execution"
In a news release sent out Wednesday afternoon, Gov. Brad Little said the medical professionals and IDOC staff did the right thing in halting the execution.
IDOC officials are experienced and well prepared for a variety of situations that can arise during lethal injection execution. The team of professionals at IDOC was prepared for the possibility that medical professionals would not be able to access the inmate’s veins, a circumstance that has occurred in execution procedures elsewhere in the country. The competent and qualified medical professionals present and IDOC officials were cautious and did the right thing in not moving forward with the execution. My office will remain in close communication with IDOC about next steps.Gov. Brad Little
Abraham Bonowitz from the advocacy group Death Penalty Action said he was outraged by the morning’s events.
“Death row itself is plenty of torture, but this is is the height of it. And I don't think most Idahoans would think that this is a good reflection on the state,” he said, as others praised God for the last minute turn of events.
Bonowitz had spent the past week touring Idaho speaking against the death penalty.
In a message to his staff posted on the IDOC website, Tewalt explained why the firing squad was not considered as a secondary means of execution in this case.
“We've been working with the Division of Public Works to retain the expertise necessary to retrofit F Block, our current execution chamber, and accommodate a firing squad,” he wrote. “Those initial efforts were unsuccessful because contractors who would engage in this type of work have expressed their unwillingness to work on a project related to executions, but efforts are ongoing.”
The firing squad as a method of state killing was signed into law by Gov. Little in March 2023.
Tewalt said the Department would let Creech’s death warrant expire at 11:59 pm Wednesday night and convene with stakeholders to consider next steps.
Creech has since been returned to his cell.
Creech was sentenced to death for killing a fellow inmate by beating him with a battery filled sock in 1981 while he was serving time for a double murder. He’s been linked to several other killings in multiple states.
The press conference audio was provided by Idaho Public Television.
